its raining. its cold. its the last day of february. my girls are playing nice together, my hubs is off with a friend to philly and I am watching the rain fall out my window. at least its not snow. :)have i told you i have a thing for plants?!{photo}

Wall sculpture designed by Kevin Smith (Flora Grubb's honey) using organic materials and reclaimed scrap. The best part about this gorgeous outdoor piece of work is that it's a habitat-in-waiting for bees, birds and other native animals. I rrrreeealllly like it.

it's time for a flores del sol giveaway! it's been almost a year since i've given away one of my designs so it's high time for another. this is bitty billy up for grabs. want it now? its for sale here.

What to do to win?

Just leave me a comment with your email (or a link to it).

additional optional entries (leave a separate comment for each thing you've done or already do):- follow flores del sol blog (link is on the sidebar)- like flores del sol on facebook here- tweet- pin- or facebook itgiveaway ends march 2nd at 12am est and will be chosen at random. US residents only

i cant always get my hands onthis container and I get asked a lot if I will have it back in stock soon. So to make up for it, I've made bitty billy. he's got balls. lots of billy balls that is. he's in the shophere. oh and i will be giving one of him away on thursday so come back!

The pattern of the tea towel and oven mitt "records a love poem written by a boy to a girl in the "language of flowers", the Victorian-era means of communication in which various flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages, allowing individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken. Starting with the left side of the wreath to the right side, each flower reveals one more part of the missing puzzle. Included in the poem are amaranth globes, black eyed susans, daisies, poppies, dandelions, tulips, morning glories, roses, magnolias, laurel leaves, laurestine, forget-me-nots, honeysuckle."

beautiful, fragile, anemones. These were headed for the trash yesterday by a unappreciative designer as I worked designing for valentine's day. Their petals will soon fall which is why they were too spent to use in arrangements. I couldn't bare to see such blooming beauties wasted at their prime, so I saved them and brought them home. One designer's trash is another designer's treasure :)

anemones are in the buttercup family, ranunculaceae, and also known as the poppy anemone or the anemone coronaria. The anemone coronaria are native to the Mediterranean region and grow wild all over Israel and Jordan. They come in a variety of colors like white, red, pinks and purples. And how are they pronounced? a-nem-o-neeee, you know like how nemo pronounces it. These are one of my favorite flowers, I love how delicate they are and how each center looks different.

I am thinking about doing a giveaway of one of my designs so come back soon!

Welcome to flower scoop, a new blog segment where I dish out interesting facts, studies and tips about, well... flowers :)

first up: flowers scents, bees and pollution

A study done by University of Virginia indicates that the natural scent of flowers is diminishing due to air pollution from sources such as power plants and cars. What a shame! Not only is the pollution affecting the scent of flowers, but it is also affecting wild bee populations, particularly the honey bee. Bees follow flower scent trails to pollinate. They are having a difficult time following flower trails as pollution scents are mixing with floral aromas and causing potent floral scents to dissipate.

The study appears online in the journal Atmospheric Environment.

"The scent molecules produced by flowers in a less polluted environment, such as in the 1800s, could travel for roughly 1,000 to 1,200 meters; but in today's polluted environment downwind of major cites, they may travel only 200 to 300 meters," said Jose D. Fuentes, a professor of environmental sciences at the University of Virginia and a co-author of the study. "This makes it increasingly difficult for pollinators to locate the flowers."

Other studies have shown that the population of bees and butterflies have diminished greatly in recent years around the world and in places like California and the Netherlands. "Fuentes and his team of U.Va. researchers believe that air pollution, especially during the peak period of summer, may be a factor."

"It quickly became apparent that air pollution destroys the aroma of flowers, by as much as 90 percent from periods before automobiles and heavy industry," Fuentes said. "And the more air pollution there is in a region, the greater the destruction of the flower scents."

Looks like we may need to get a little closer when stopping to smell the roses.

craspedia cluster in white is designed with lovely bright yellow dried craspedia flowers (aka billy buttons, billy balls) in a simple white ceramic cylinder vase. So bright, so cheery, and natural (much like the wonderful weather we've been enjoying!). It will be going into the shop's more permanent collection. The original petite craspedia cluster will be retiring as soon as the last two sell. New designs will be tricking in this season... sorry it may take a while though. I cant seem to get much done quickly with three wee ones !!! stay tuned :)

I love all things green. Succulent leaves, interesting textures, soft moss. I am a professional floral designer who has created a way to work artistically and still be home with my little girls. Fresh from the garden state, flores del sol.

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Flower aficionado Christina Moreno is part horticulture expert, part floral designer. Her extensive knowledge of the botanical world is evident, from musings on her own botanical finds, to interesting and timely tidbits like the history of the royal wedding bouquet. Drawing on her love of all things vintage, Moreno also creates surprisingly modern arrangements made of dried flowers and moss in her Etsy shop.-elle decor.com